Tube for use in a pelleting centrifuge rotor

Abstract

A tube for use in a pelleting centrifuge rotor is characterized in first aspect by a first, acute, corner and a second, obtuse, corner defined in the lowermost pelleting region thereof. The corner defined by the acute angle lies a greater axial distance from the mouth of the tube than the corner defined by the obtuse angle. In a second aspect the tube the interior of the tube has a constricted region with a guide adjacent thereto. The guide channel is sized to accept a supernatant removal implement.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tube for use in a pelleting centrifuge rotor to separate solid particles from a liquid supernatant in which they are suspended, the tube having a body with an interior volume, the tube terminating in a mouth, the interior volume comprising an upper portion and a lower pelleting portion, the tube having an axis extending therethrough, the pelleting portion being defined by at least first and second interior surfaces which converge toward each other to meet along a line of convergence that forms a tube bottom, the pelleting portion of the tube having a first and a second corner respectively defined at a respective end of the line of convergence, the first corner subtending an acute angle defined between the line of convergence and a portion of the tube interior and the second corner subtending an obtuse angle defined between the line of convergence and another portion of the tube interior.   the corner subtending the acute angle lying a greater axial distance from the mouth of the tube than the corner subtending the obtuse angle.   
     
     
       2. The tube of claim 1 further comprising an indicia on the tube for orienting the tube within a recess of a pelleting centrifuge rotor so that, in use in the rotor the corner subtending the obtuse angle is disposed at the greatest distance from the axis of rotation whereby a pellet forms within that corner. 
     
     
       3. The tube of claim 1 wherein the improvement further comprises: the interior volume of the tube has a generally keyhole-shaped configuration when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube, the keyhole-shaped configuration being defined by a diametrically extending constricted region and an relatively enlarged, relative to the constricted region, guide channel adjacent thereto, the guide channel having an axis extending therethrough that projects toward the corner subtending the acute angle.   
     
     
       4. The tube of claim 3 wherein only the guide channel has a size sufficient to accept a supernatant removal implement. 
     
     
       5. The tube of claim 3 further comprising an indicia on the tube for orienting the tube within a recess of a pelleting centrifuge rotor so that, in use in the rotor the corner subtending the obtuse angle is disposed at the greatest distance from the axis of rotation whereby a pellet forms within that corner. 
     
     
       6. A tube for use in a pelleting centrifuge rotor to separate solid particles suspended in a liquid supernatant from the supernatant, the tube having a body with an interior volume, the tube terminating in a mouth, the interior volume comprising an upper portion and a lower pelleting portion, the tube having an axis extending therethrough, the pelleting portion being defined by at least a first and a second interior surface which cooperate to form a first and a second corner therein,   the improvement comprising:   the interior volume of the tube has a generally keyhole-shaped configuration when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube, the keyhole-shaped configuration being defined by a diametrically extending constricted region and an relatively enlarged, relative to the constricted region, guide channel adjacent thereto, the guide channel having an axis extending therethrough that projects toward a corner of the tube.   
     
     
       7. The tube of claim 5 wherein only the guide channel is sized to accept a supernatant removal implement. 
     
     
       8. The tube of claim 7 further comprising an indicia on the tube for orienting the tube within a recess of a pelleting centrifuge rotor so that, in use in the rotor the constricted region lies a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation than does the guide channel.